The present invention relates to a print management server, printing management system and printing method for management of the printing of image data exchanged via a communications network.
The following describes the prior art procedures for printing a photograph taken by a customer with reference to FIG. 11:
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram representing the physical distribution and procedures thereof in prior art printing. As shown in FIG. 11, the photograph taken by a customer is printed mainly by the following three methods:
In the first method, a customer 100 takes a negative to an agent such as a photo studio 101 or the like, and requests his or her photograph to be printed. It is exposed, developed and printed at a large-sized photofinishing lab 102. According to this method, negatives collected by multiple agents can be exposed and developed at a large-sized photofinishing lab 102. In this case, however, the negative is handed over to the large sized photofinishing lab 102 through the photo studio 101 from the customer 100 before printing is completed. The completed print must also be handed over to the customer 100 through the photo studio 101 from the large sized photofinishing lab 102. Several days are required from the request of printing to completion of printing.
In the second method, the customer 100 takes a negative directly to a small sized minilab 103 capable of exposure and development, without the intervention of photo studio 101 or other agent. According to this method, printing is completed several hours after the arrival of the negative brought by the customer 100, since exposure and development apparatuses are installed at the minilab.
In the third method, an image data photographed with a digital camera or the like by a customer 100, for example, is sent to a specified server 104 or the like via the communications network, and is exposed and developed by a photofinishing lab 105 equipped with digital exposure and development departments. According to this method, the customer need not visit a shop to request printing. Image data can be sent to a server 04 managed by a company providing printing services via the network. This is a convenient method.
According to three prior art methods for requesting printing described above, the customer 100 can use a negative or digital image data to request printing.
In all the aforementioned cases, a photosensitive material to be used for printing is produced by a photosensitive material manufacturer 106, and is marketed via a physical distribution/sales company 107. This requires physical distribution costs, which in turn raises printing costs.
The aforementioned large sized photofinishing lab 102, minilab 103 or the like engaged in exposure and development normally keeps certain numbers of photosensitive materials in stock to meet possible urgent requirements. Keeping them in stock will result in cost increase due to stocktaking of photosensitive materials, and will also result in secular deterioration of photosensitive materials.
Generally, the photosensitive material comprises multiple compositions of coating liquids which, in turn, comprise a pigment forming coupler and photosensitive silver halide lactic acid produced through crystal growth, chemical sensitizing and pigmentary sensitizing of silver halide particles, which, if required, further contains organic solvent of high boiling point, pigment image stabilizer, ultraviolet ray absorber, fogging inhibitor and binder, as well as surfactant, liquid viscosity regulator, irradiation inhibiting die, silver development inhibitor, fluorescent whitener, membranous quality modifier and hardening agent. Multiple layers of the aforementioned composition of coating liquids are simultaneously applied to a continuously traveling plastic covering paper support, resin film or other similar support, which is dried to produce the photosensitive material. Accordingly, the photosensitive material must be managed and stored with extreme care under certain environmental conditions. If not, secular change will occur and the required performances will be exhibited.
However, in the printing system described above, the photosensitive material manufacturer 106, manufacturer engaged in exposure and development and stores (102, 103, 105, etc.) are independently of one another. The photosensitive material is subjected to various environments before it is used after having been produced, and it is not protected against secular deterioration in the prior art. To reduce the period of storage and to solve this problem, it may be possible to procure the photosensitive material every time an order is placed, but this method requires enormous physical distribution costs, with the result that printing services cannot be provided at low price.